Right angle cord grip adapted for different directions of cord take-off



June 16, 1964 J. F. HEALY RIGHT ANGLE CORD GRIP ADAPTED FOR DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS OE CORD TAKE-OEE Filed Oct. 17, 195e ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent O RIGHT ANGLE CURB GRH) ADAPTED FR DIF- FERENT DERECTIONS GF CRD TAKE-OFF `Ioseph F. Healy, Westport, Conn., assigner to Harvey Hubbell, Incorporated, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporatinn of Connecticut Filed Oct. 17, 195:3, Ser. No. 767,822 6 Claims. (Cl. 339-103) This invention relates to electric wiring devices, and particularly to a cord grip for such devices, and has for an object to provide a cord grip with improved mounting means whereby this grip is adapted for location for different directions of cord take-offs.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, l have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the speciiic details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front view oi one form of a wall outlet receptacle adapted to receive an improved attachment plug cap provided with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view ofthe cap;

FIG. 3 is a section substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial section and partial side view, the section being substantially on line 4-4 of FIG, 3;

FIG. 5 is an end View of the cap showing the cord grip take-oli arranged in one position, and

FIG. 6 is a similar View showing the cord grip take-ott arranged in another position.

In using attachment plug caps for insertion in wall outlet receptacles, it is often desirable to have the conductor cord extend laterally from the cap after it is inserted in the receptacle, and it is also often desirable that it extend laterally from the receptacle toward the electrical device, such as a lamp, for example, in the direction in which this lamp may be located laterally from the receptacle and the cap. Thus it may be desirable to have it extend either to the right or to the left, or upwardly or downwardly, from the cap, and in ordinary installations this cannot be accompli-shed by merely changing the position in which the cap is inserted in the receptacle, and particularly is this true where the cap and receptacle are polarized or have grounded contacts, in which case the cap can be inserted in the receptacle in one position only. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a simple and effective construction whereby the insulating conductor cord may be arranged to lead or extend from the cap in dilerent angular directions from the cap after it has been inserted in the receptacle.

Such a grounded receptacle is indicated in FIG. 1 comprising the base plate 10 in an openingll in which is located the boss 12 of the wall outlet receptacle, provided with aligned inlet slots 13 leading to receptacle contacts (not shown) in the power supply circuit of the house wiring system, and an intermediate opening 14 leading to a grounding contact in the receptacle.

An attachment plug cap for use with this receptacle and including the improved construction of this invention is shown in FIGS. 2 to 6. It is, however, to be understood that although this cord take-off is shown as applied to an attachment plug cap, it may be applied to other electric wiring devices where found to be adaptable,

The cap shown comprises an insulating body member 15 enclosed in the outer shell 16, the body being usually of suitable molded insulating material and the shell 16 ordinarily of formed sheet metal. This shell encloses the ice body 15 and has an end wall 17 over the outer wall of the body. Mounted on the inner wall of this body by any suitable means, such, for example, as the rivets 18, is a pair of blade contacts 19 projecting from the rear of the body in position for inserting in the slots 13 of the yreceptacle to engage the electrical contacts therein for supplying current to an electrical device, such for example, as a lamp or other electrically operated device. These contacts extend from base plates 20 seating in the bottom of recesses in the rear wall of the body 15 and secured by the rivets 18 passing through openings in these feet and molded in the material of the body member. The plates are provided with means for securing conductor wires to them, such, for example, as a binding screw 21. Also mounted in a recess in the rear or inner wall of the body is a grounding contact 22 projecting from the rear ot the body and of a special shape to enter the opening 14 to the grounding contact in the receptacle. In this case it is a substantially U-shaped contact and the opening 14 is similarly shaped. The contact is mounted by a i plate or foot 23 secured to the bottom of the recess by a rivet 24 molded in the material of the body, and this rivet may also be used for securing to this plate a grounding strip 25 engaging the metal casing 16 for grounding the Contact thereon. The lead wire may be connected to the plate vby a binding screw 26.

The body member 15 is provided with a passage 27 extending therethrough for passage of an insulated conductor cord 28 for connecting the lead wires in this cord to the contacts 19 and 22. This cord, as shown, comprises a three-wire cord, the outer two wires 29 being the power wires for conducting electric current from the receptacle to the electrical attachment or other device, and the central wire 30 being the grounded wire connected to the grounded contact 22.

Mounted on the outer side of the body member is a right-angle cord grip 31. The grip shown comprises two members 32 and 33 each having a clamping jaw 34 and 35 respectively arranged side by side, but spaced to receive the insulating conductor cord 28 between them, with means, in the present case the screws 36, for clamping these jaws on opposite sides of the cord. It will be seen from FIG. 3 that these jaws extend in an angular direction from the axis of the body member 15, preferably at substantially right angles thereto, and each jaw is provided with a laterally extending foot 37 and 38 respectively by which the jaws are secured to the body member. A simple and elective means is to provide radially extending guideways formed between the outer wall of the body member 15 and the end wall 17 of the casing. This may be done by providing radial channels in the wall of the body in which the feet of the clamping jaws may be guided and held by the end wall of the casing, or they may be, as shown, comprising channels formed in the inner side of the end wall 17 by pressing the wall outwardly, as indicated at 39 and 40. There are provided two pairs of these channels, the channels of each pair being arranged on opposite sides of the passage 27 and the opening 41 in alignment therewith provided in the end wall 17 of the casing. The channels of these two pairs 'are arranged at substantially right angles to each other, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, so that, as indicated, there are two pairs of guides for the feet 37 and 38 provided by the end wall of the casing and the outer surface or outer wall of the body member. These guides, including the channels in the pressed-out portions 39 and 4t), are of a sizeto receive the feet 37 and 38 of the clamping jaws and permit them to slide radially relative to the body for proper application of the jaws to the conductor cord 28, and clamping of these jaws on the cord provides a strain relief grip. It will be seen, however, that the feet and the jaws are arranged in substantially parallel planes, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the jaws providing a support and strain relief for the take-off for the insulating cord, provide for this cord to extend in a direction laterally from the cap and the receptacle in which it may be inserted, and in a plane substantially parallel to the wall in which the receptacle is mounted. It will be seen from FIGS. and 6 that the clamp or cord grip may be secured to the body member in any one of four different positions according to which guides or channels the feet 37, 38 are located. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, in full lines, by locating the feet 37 and 38 in the guides formed by the raised portions 40, the clamping jaws and therefore the insulating cord gripped thereby may be led from the receptacle downwardly, as shown in full lines, or it may be led upwardly as shown in dotted lines. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6, if the feet 37 and 38 are located in guides or channels formed by the raised portions 39, the cord may be positioned and led from the receptacle either to the right, as shown in full lines in FIG. 6, or to the left as shown in dotted lines.

It will therefore be seen from the above that this is a very simple construction, and that by use thereof on an attachment plug cap, even though the cap may be inserted in the outlet receptacle in one position only, the insulating conductor cord leading from the cap may be directed into any one of four different directions and gripped and held in this position by locating the cord grips in any one of four diierent positions. The opening 41 in the end wall of the casing is preferably of generally square shape and of a size so that the feet 37 and 38 may be inserted into any one of the desired guides through this opening, to thus permit different angular locations of the clamping jaws after the cap has been assembled.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. An electric wiring device comprising a body member, electric contacts mounted on said member, means for connecting the wires of an insulated conductor cordto said contacts, a cord gripincluding clamping jaws that extend laterally from said member and means for clamping the jaws on the cord, said clamping jaws including mounting feet, and securing means adapted to secure the mounting feet directly to said member with the jaws extending in diiferent angular positions about the axis of said member to grip a cord extending from said member in different angular directions about said axis.

2. An electric wiring device comprising a body member, electric contacts mounted on said member, means for connecting the wires of an insulated conductor cord to said contacts, said body member provided with an axial passage for said cord leading to said means, a cord grip including clamping jaws extending radially from said passage at an angle to the axis thereof, means for clamping the jaws on a cord leading to said passage, and securing means including means to secure the jaws directly to the body member with the jaws extending radially from the passage in any one of a plurality of difrerent angular directions about the axis of said passage.

3. An electric wiring device comprising an insulating body member, electric contacts mounted on said member, means for connecting the wires of an insulated conductor cord to said contacts, said body member provided with a passage for said cord leading to said connecting means, an enclosing casing for said body member including an end wall extending over the outer wall of said member having an opening in alignment with said passage, the outer Wall of said member and the end wall of the casing extending generally laterally of said passage and providing a plurality of guides extending in different angular directions laterally from said passage and opening, a cord grip including clamping jaws and feet in planes substantially parallel to the jaws, said feet adapted for mounting in any of said guides to locate the jaws in different angular positions about said passage and opening, and means for clamping the jaws on a cord extending through the opening and passage to the connecting means.

4. An electric wiring device comprising an insulating body member, electric contacts mounted on said member, means for connecting the wires of an insulated conductor cord to said contacts, said body member provided with an axial passage for said cord leading to said connecting means, an enclosing casing for said body member includ ing an end wall extending over the outer wall of said member having an opening in alignment with said passage, the outer wall of said member and the end wall of the casing extending generally laterally `ot` said passage and providing a plurality of pairs of guides at substantially right angles to each other with the guides of each pair located on opposite sides of said passage and opening and extending radially therefrom, a cord grip including clamping jaws and feet arranged in substantially parallel planes, said feet adapted for mounting in either pair of guides to locate the jaws in different angular positions about said passage and opening, and means for clamping the jaws on a cord extending through said opening and passage to the connecting means.

5. An electric wiring device comprising an insulating body member, electric contacts mounted on said member, means for connecting the wires of an insulated conductor cord to said contacts, said body member provided with a passage for said cord leading to said connecting means and extending through an outer wall of said body member, an enclosing casing for said body member including.` an end Wall extending over the outer wall of said member, the end wall of the casing provided with an opening in alignment with the passage and a plurality of pairs of channels on its inner surface extending laterally from said opening on opposite sides thereof in different angular directions, said channels providing guides with the end wall of the body member, a cord grip including clamping jaws and feet arranged in substantially parallel planes, said feet adapted for mounting in either pair of guides to locate .the jaws in different angular positions about said passage and opening, and means for clamping the jaws on a cord extending through said opening and passage to the connecting means.

6. A detachable electric wiring device comprising: an insulating body member; electric contacts mounted on said body member; means for connecting the wires of an insulated conductor cord to said contacts; said body member provided with a passage for said cord leading to said connecting means and extending through an outer wall of said body member; an enclosing casing for said body member including an end wall extending over the outer wall of said body member; the end wall of said casing provided with an opening in registry with said passage and a plurality of pairs of channels formed on its inner surface and extending laterally from said opening on opposite sides thereof in diierent angular directions; said channels cooperating with the end wall of said body member to provide a plurality of pairs of guides; a cord grip comprising a pair of cord grip members each including a clamping jaw and a mounting foot; said jaws and feet being arranged in substantially parallel planes and said feet arranged for mounting in either pair of guides to locate the jaws in diierent angular positions about said passage and opening; and means for clamping the jaws on a cord extending through said opening and passage to the connecting means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,817,004 Hubbell Aug. 4, 1931 1,984,181 French Dec. ll, 1934 2,371,551 Schmitt Mar. 13, 1945 2,533,897 Reddock Dec. l2, 1950 2,753,537 Hubbell July 3, 1956 2,869,102 Hubbell lan. 13, 1959 

1. AN ELECTRIC WIRING DEVICE COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER, ELECTRIC CONTACTS MOUNTED ON SAID MEMBER, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE WIRES OF AN INSULATED CONDUCTOR CORD TO SAID CONTACTS, A CORD GRIP INCLUDING CLAMPING JAWS THAT EXTEND LATERALLY FROM SAID MEMBER AND MEANS FOR CLAMPING THE JAWS ON THE CORD, SAID CLAMPING JAWS INCLUDING MOUNTING FEET, AND SECURING MEANS ADAPTED TO SECURE THE MOUNTING FEET DIRECTLY TO SAID MEMBER WITH THE JAWS EXTENDING IN DIFFERENT ANGULAR POSITIONS ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID MEMBER TO GRIP A CORD EXTENDING FROM SAID MEMBER IN DIFFERENT ANGULAR DIRECTIONS ABOUT SAID AXIS. 